Valladolid's Plaza Mayor is one of the great Spanish squares — a rectangle of red-painted arcaded buildings four storeys high, ringed by cafes, tapas bars, and the elegant town hall on the north side. It is the social heart of the city, and on weekend evenings the whole population seems to be circulating through it.
The square was designed in 1561 by Francisco de Salamanca after the original was destroyed by fire. Its regular plan, uniform facades, and arcades on all four sides were a first in Spain — Philip III had it copied in Madrid forty years later. Pause for a glass of Verdejo and a few pinchos under the arcades; the bars along Calle Correos just off the square are among the best in town.